


media vita in morte sumus (in the midst of our lives we die)

by sinequanon



Series: rebellion and revolution [4]
Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-04
Updated: 2017-07-04
Packaged: 2018-11-23 11:53:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11401884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sinequanon/pseuds/sinequanon
Summary: Six people who time travel (and maybe try to change the world), and three people who don't.





	media vita in morte sumus (in the midst of our lives we die)

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a big fan of Bleach time travel fics. The problem is that because there are so many of them, it's difficult coming up with new ways to tell essentially the same story over and over again. Originally, I had decided to write a fic where someone other than Ichigo (or Karin, who also turns up a lot) time travels, but I couldn't decide who to use.
> 
> Then this happened. Instead of being one complete story, this is a look at a series of universes in which different characters time travel, and their reactions to those travels. Each part stands alone, and there are two which could contain potential Ichigo/Shinigami relationships, if you want to read them that way.
> 
> Enjoy!

I.

One minute, Thirteenth Division lieutenant Shiba Kaien was fighting with the hollow that had killed his wife and the next, he was...not.

He wasn't sure where he was, exactly, only that it was dark and cold. It didn't bother him, exactly, but he instinctively knew that this was not a place to linger.

 _I have a task for you, Shiba Kaien_ , a voice said. _Will you protect your family_?

Despite the situation (and the voice of his sister telling him _not_ to be a idiot in his head), the lieutenant almost rolled his eyes. Of course he’d protect his family. The Shibas weren't as refined as the Kuchikis or as intimidating as the Shihouins, but his clan was--among other awesome things--unerringly loyal. He told the Soul King as much, and the man had laughed at him and said, “Yes, I know.”

But if he left, Kaien wondered, what was preventing his clan from dying anyway?

 _The timeline has already been disrupted. Aaroniero died with you. Things cannot quite proceed as they did before. The Gotei 13 and your clan will be more watchful of things that they remained ignorant of in the past_.

Suddenly, starbursts exploded behind his eyes, and Kaien saw everything that would have happened if he had lost the battle with the hollow. Minutes or hours or days later--Kaien couldn't really tell--he was gasping at just what had happened to his clan, the Gotei 13, and the tiny family that Isshin had managed to build for himself.

Kukaku and Ganju could handle the rest of the family for a few years; Kaien had a feeling that his new job was going to be much harder than being either a Shinigami officer or Shiba Clan Head.

The first thing Kaien was going to do after introducing himself to his cousins was take them away from Karakura for a little while. The former lieutenant had seen how everything had turned out, and there was no way he was going to let Soul Society tear that family apart like they had the rest of the Shibas.

Ichigo was _not_ going to be forced to defend people centuries older than him at the cost of his own childhood. Kaien would gladly teach Ichigo and Karin and Yuzu about being Shinigami, but they were going to live while they did it. If Isshin or anyone else had a problem with that, Kaien would happily introduce him to his zanpakuto.

  
II.

In his centuries of life, Urahara Kisuke had rarely let himself feel badly for doing what needed to be done. There were things that he regretted, of course, but he knew better than to look at those things too closely, and instead shoved them into a box in the corner of his mind where he rarely took them out to look at them.

If he couldn't fix it, Kisuke had a feeling that Ichigo's death would be the thing that the box could never contain.

The sight of Ichigo taking a wound meant for Kisuke would haunt the former shopkeeper for the rest of his life, as would the look on Karin’s face when she realized that her brother was going to die.

(It only made it worse when none of the Kurosakis blamed him.)

Kisuke had let himself wallow in grief even as Ichigo still clung to life in the Fourth Division, because Ichigo _was_ going to die, and it was going to be all his fault.

Which was why, Kisuke decided, he was going to change it. He was going to go back in time and make sure that Ichigo never got involved in Shinigami business. He didn't care if it doomed the rest of Soul Society to live under Aizen's rule--better that than the death of a young man who had given up far too much for the likes of them.

He spent the next week avoiding reality, holing himself up in his workshop until he had a workable prototype that would conceivably send him to the past. Of course, there was no way to test it, but if Ichigo died, Kisuke’s life might as well be over, too.

When to go back, though? Should he save Masaki, and fundamentally change the person Ichigo would become? Should he find a way to introduce himself to Ichigo before Rukia arrived in Karakura? Should he tell Ichigo about his hybrid heritage? Should he go back far enough to kill Aizen before the man had the chance to ruin the teenager's life?

“Kisuke,” Yoruichi’s somber voice sounded through the lab’s door, “you need to come and say goodbye. Please come out.”

The former captain barely heard her, mind rolling through the possibilities. There were so many things that could go wrong, but if Kisuke did nothing, _everything_ would go wrong.

No, he didn't need to see Ichigo like this. What he needed to do was fix it.

He looked down at the device in his hands and flipped the switch.

  
III.

The next time Shinji saw Kisuke, he was going to stab the bastard in the gut. He didn't care that _this_ Kisuke wouldn't know what he had done wrong--the man in this time deserved a thrashing for something, no doubt. If nothing else, Shinji could consider it a preventative measure toward the scientist’s future stupid decisions.

The Visored picked himself up from where he had landed just outside of Karakura and scowled at his surroundings. True, Shinji and the others had eventually gotten used to living in the human world, but it had never truly been home. Then, the ache had been more bearable with the others’ presences; now, he had only his own less-than-peaceful thoughts for company.

If Kisuke’s device had done what it was supposed to, Ichigo hadn't even been _born_ yet. What exactly was Shinji supposed to do until then? He had no doubt he could eventually convince his counterpart that he wasn't some sort of Aizen-made trap, but he’d likely get the shit beaten out of him by the rest of the Visored in the meantime.

And, what was he supposed to do when Ichigo was born? Become his bodyguard? His babysitter? No matter how clueless Isshin acted, it wouldn't take the former captain long to figure out that something was off with Shinji if he started spending time with Ichigo. And as soon as Isshin suspected Shinji, he’d go to Kisuke for help, and Shinji was definitely not a good enough actor to fool the genius on his identity for long.

It wasn't that Shinji didn't _want_ to undo everything that Aizen had done, but he couldn't figure out why Kisuke had thought it was a good idea for _Shinji_ to be the one to change things. He loved Ichigo like a little brother, but he and the rest of the Visored (especially right now, while they were still so angry that the Gotei 13 had abandoned them) weren't exactly the best influences for a child. He--future Shinji--was arguably worse, further broken by visions of war and the deaths he hoped to prevent.

This whole situation was worrisome at best, and borderline crazy at worst.

Shinji sighed heavily, simultaneously bemoaning his fate and equally cursing crazy shopkeepers and megalomaniacal would-be dictators for putting him in this situation in the first place.

Of course, it was inevitable that someone--likely Kisuke or younger Hirako--would sense him eventually, but he wouldn't let that dissuade him from protecting the Kurosakis from a distance. For now.

  
IV.

Really, Rukia and Renji were the ones at fault for their time travel adventure, at least according to their captains. They really should have known better than to simply acquiesce when Urahara had pointed them toward a large, unknown contraption that he had built and asked them to “take a look inside.”

They had done so, because they had somehow forgotten what that particular gleam in the scientist's eyes meant (Renji blamed lack of sleep, Rukia blamed Ichigo), and a jolt, a screech, and a blinding light later, they were in Seireitei--two hundred years in the future.

Considering everything they had been through in the past few years, the trip didn't faze them as much as it probably should have, and neither did the fact that Ichigo was waiting for them, an unfamiliar lieutenant at his side.

“Damn Kisuke can't leave well enough alone,” the orange-haired man muttered as he pulled his friends into hugs. He took a step back and pinned them both discerning looks. “Yuki here,” he gestured toward the lieutenant, “is going to be responsible for keeping any eye on you while you're here. It's not that we don't trust you, it's just that the more you know about the future, the more you could inadvertently change, and we're actually in a pretty good place right now.”

A hell butterfly came fluttering up about an impromptu captains’ meeting, and Ichigo groaned even as his friends grinned at him. Of course, Ichigo was a captain. What else would he be?

“The meeting is about you two, no doubt. You don't need to hide or anything, but try not to interact with too many people you don't already know, okay?”

For the next month, Rukia and Renji wandered around Seireitei chatting with old friends, arguing with themselves (literally), and trying to take in the changes made to Soul Society in the past two centuries. Everyone was remarkably tight-lipped about past events, but the pair would have had to be blind not to notice that the Gotei 13 felt lighter, freer than it ever had.

Rukia saw Orihime, and Chad, and Ichigo's sisters, and the first thing that she noticed about all of them was that they seemed so _happy_.

For the first time in a long time, it gave Rukia hope, because _this_ was what the Shinigami were fighting for.

A month, a worrying amount of time with future Urahara, and a “farewell, see you later” dinner with the Kurosakis later, the pair landed back in their own time.

(No matter how much he begged, Rukia and Renji refused to give their genius details about anything they had seen.)

  
V.

The plan had been simple: go back in time and kill Kurosaki Ichigo long before he ever grew into his powers. Not only would a fierce adversary be eliminated, but the hope and camaraderie that had bloomed in the Gotei 13 under the boy's influence would never take root, easing Sousuke’s path to godhood.

While it _would_ be more satisfying to give the Shinigami their savior, only to rip him from their grasp, it was far more practical to deal with Ichigo while everyone that could help the boy was at their weakest: Kurosaki Isshin was busy caring for his young daughters, Urahara was drowning in guilt over not detecting Grand Fisher before he devoured Ichigo's mother, the Shihouin princess was nowhere to be found, and the Visored were too busy raging against the Gotei 13 to pay attention to anything but their own misery.

There was only one problem: Aizen Sousuke was no longer sure he _wanted_ to kill Kurosaki Ichigo.

Sousuke hadn't expected to actually _like_ the boy. As a teenager, Ichigo was willful, brash, and he completely lacked the finesse that the former captain had cultivated over centuries of dealing with his colleagues. True, he had relied on his zanpakuto for many things, but Sousuke, at least, had still understood the value of proper decorum.

(Intellectually, he understood that part of Ichigo's appeal was his lack of finesse and willingness to fight--no matter how hopeless--for his friends, but he rarely considered it, lest he be forced to admit [if only to himself] that he was also fascinated by the young man.)

Right now, though, Ichigo was still a little boy, grieving over the loss of his mother and trying to be strong for the rest of his family. The former captain knew that loneliness, intimately, and it was the memory of that crushing feeling that had thus far stayed his hand. He wasn't sure how many times he had followed the young boy, zanpakuto ready, only to hesitate when the time came to kill him.

That was the other surprise. Kyoka Suigetsu was once again a comforting, rational presence in the back of his head--the hogyoku displaced by the time travel--and Sousuke realized with a start that he didn't entirely miss it.

Still, if he couldn't kill the boy, and he couldn't return to his own time, what was he supposed to do? Urahara and the Visored certainly wouldn't welcome him.

 _Befriend the boy_ , his zanpakuto suggested gently, after yet another day of following the eldest Kurosaki child around. _Let_ him _become your family_.

“How am I supposed to do that?”

Sousuke could see Kyoka Suigetsu’s smug grin in his mind’s eye. _You're the genius, aren't you? You figure it out._

  
VI.

Kurosaki Isshin had arguably made some poor decisions in his life, but, in his opinion, not telling Ichigo about his heritage sooner was _not_ one of them.

After all, at what point was a parent supposed to tell their child about monsters and death gods? Age 5? Age 10? How could he tell an already guilt-ridden Ichigo that the monster that had killed his mother was after him instead, especially when Isshin couldn't even _see_ hollows anymore, and had no real proof of his claims?

Besides, he and Masaki had decided before Ichigo was even born to keep their children from that world for as long as possible. Faced with nothing but bad choices and a promise to his wife, he had done what any loving father would do, and trained his son as best he could for a future that he sincerely hoped would never come.

Kisuke and Ryuuken both chided him for his choices, but they had little room to judge: Kisuke was as skilled at lying and manipulation as Aizen, and spent more time in his lab than he did with people, and Ryuuken treated his son as if he was a near stranger. For all that he and Ichigo weren't as close as they could have been, Isshin had always done his best to protect his son from the evils of the world.

Given the chance to make different choices, what could he change? Saving Masaki would make a difference in his family's life, but it wouldn't help stop Aizen, or save Soul Society. Would Ichigo even have the same drive to protect if he had never lost his mother? If Isshin let Masaki die, but tried harder to connect emotionally with his son, would Ichigo still grow to be the same boy who so bravely fought both bullies and the Gotei 13? Would a softer version of Ichigo ever have a chance to befriend Chad? If Ichigo never became a substitute Shinigami, would he still have the opportunity to befriend Orihime?

Isshin knew better than anyone that his son was a protector, and telling him the truth about Shinigami and Quincy and all the rest would have just pulled his son into the fighting faster, and fifteen was far too early as it was.

Whether or not Isshin should have told Ichigo about Shinigami sooner, or given his son more sage advice or hugs, the important thing (and of this, Isshin was absolutely certain) was that, no matter what else might happen, his children knew that their father loved them, and they loved him in return.

  
VII.

“I wouldn't have thought you'd be so good with children,” a familiar voice said from the door to his classroom, and Ichigo looked up with a smile. It had been a while since anyone from Soul Society had personally visited and Byakuya was a surprising, but not unwelcome guest.

“I dealt with Shinigami for years; five-year-olds are actually soothing in comparison,” he replied wryly. The former substitute Shinigami set aside his work and eyed the captain in front of him speculatively. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?”

The sixth division gave an elegant shrug that would have been more convincing if Ichigo hadn't heard through Yoruichi that Byakuya was panicking about his sister's upcoming wedding. Granted, to most people, Byakuya wouldn't _look_ like he was panicking, but the man could probably be run through and still look as placid as ever. Ichigo had spent enough time with the captain, though, that he recognized Byakuya’s need for a distraction.

(Soon enough, Ichigo was sure that he would somehow be pulled into all sorts of wedding preparations himself [despite not even living in Soul Society], so he was doing his best to enjoy what little peace he had in the meantime.)

“Rukia has been telling me for years that you worked with children; I finally had the chance to come and see for myself. It suits you well."

Ichigo snorted. Almost everyone had been shocked when he had chosen to become a teacher; Uryuu still acted like he expected Ichigo to quit and open up a dojo or something. Instead, Ichigo had decided that--while he was human, at least--he would rather mould brains than bodies.

It didn't hurt that the kids loved him and thought that his hair was _cool_.

“I haven't felt any hollows in the area, so…” Ichigo began, waiting for his friend to complete the sentence.

“It's good to see that you didn't forget how to live, after being surrounded by death for so long,” the man admitted softly. “Some of the captains were worried, and with Rukia’s wedding approaching, I find myself thinking of such things.”

Ichigo barked out a laugh. Unfortunately, he could all-too-easily picture his friends standing around in one of the division offices, trying to decide who was going to check on him.

“Things are good,” the human assured him with a smile. “But you know that if you ever need me…”

Byakuya nodded at the offer, but didn't comment. No doubt, if Soul Society needed him, Ichigo would answer the call, regardless of any personal consequences. Sometimes, it saddened him to think of the troubles that Ichigo had suffered, and how differently the war might have gone without his presence, but he consoled himself with the absolute certainty that--no matter the circumstance--Ichigo would endure.

Instead, he watched Ichigo put away his things, and when the younger man was ready, asked, “Dinner?”

Ichigo grinned, and followed his friend out the door. “Sure, I could eat.”

**Author's Note:**

> Initially, this story was going to have ten parts instead of seven, both ending with Ichigo. I was in the middle of what was originally part seven when I realized that it felt too similar to Kisuke's bit, and decided to scrap the rest. I am thinking, though, about reworking those three missing parts a bit and making them into one of my tiny Bleach fics, after I see how people respond to this one.
> 
> The next fic in this series will be posted in the next couple of months, though I can't be more specific than that. Also, I wanted to let you know that the final two stories in this series (there are three left) are crossovers, in case crossovers aren't your thing. I'm also going to start posting a bunch of tiny, 1-2 page snippets and scenes for all of the fandoms that I write in soon. Quite a few of them are for Bleach, and all of them will be clearly labeled, so you can just read the Bleach ones, if you'd like. It's going to be titled _alphabet soup_ , and I'll probably start posting to it in the next two months, so keep an eye out if you're interested.
> 
> As always, thanks for reading!


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